the Princess Pink bike

Big D is learning to ride a bike.  Once his sister had it figured out there was a sudden burst of determination within that little boy body of his!  I'm sure it has nothing to do with keeping up with the 'big' kids.  So, I got out the princess bike.  It is a hand-me-down from a neighbor, the one Miss Lilly learned to ride on.  And while it is pink with princess' dancing through glitter all over it, it is the smallest available and the best to learn on.  Plus, he really could care less, as long as he is a big kid riding a bike!  I resisted putting training wheels on, because, having done this twice before, I believe that just prolongs the process - I was really encouraging him to learn to balance the bike by putting the seat low enough that he could sit on it and walk it along, but when I was busy getting dinner one night, J.D. thought otherwise and put the training wheels on.  So much for effective communication.  J.D. offered to take them off after I had communicated to him my thoughts ... albeit a little too late ... but after seeing Big D's smile (as well as his independence) as he rode without help I relented and decided maybe training wheels was the way to go.  I mean, we've done that with both of the other kids, why change things up now?!

I wish I had my camera (after forgetting the memory card and taking it on my trip, I then left it on the seat of my parents car ...) because he is so proud of that 'pink' bike!  He loves it!  And it isn't that he loves pink or princesses, he is just so excited and impressed at his ability to ride on his own, that he really could care less about the color, or theme.  The neighbors, I'm sure, are getting a good chuckle over him, so delighted in his princess bike.  I figure we'll go get a very 'boy' bike helmet and maybe, if there is left over spray paint from Master S' pinewood derby car I'll get crazy and paint the little pink bike ... or not.  I'm hoping he'll learn to ride quickly and transition to the red, slightly bigger, 'boy' bike that is waiting for him in the garage.  In the meantime I'm enjoying the fact that he asks to ride his bike as soon as he gets up in the morning and will take any opportunity to ride it up and down the sidewalk.  There's nothing like his beaming face as he says, "Want to see me ride my bike!?"